Wexford U-16's march on to Leinster Final

Wexford U-16 ladies football team had a very good win over near
neighbours Wicklow in Kilanerin last Saturday in the Leinster
B championship semi-final. This was the team’s first competitive
match since they beat Carlow in a group game on May 6th. Wexford
got off to a great start with a goal in the first minute from
Maeve Kehoe and this was followed six minutes later with a goal
from Aoife Dunne after she latched on to a long ball from Natalie
Cushe. Wexford were very much in control of this match and over
the next five minutes they added another goal and three points
before the Garden County got off the mark with a point from Shauna
Hilley. Wexford responded with points from Karen Tompkins and
Aoife Tormey before Claire Turner scored Wicklow’s second point.
Wicklow who had the advantage of the breeze wasted a few chances
at this stage before Sandra Lawlor had the final say of the first
half with a punched goal from a long ball in from Roisín Murphy,
indeed Sandra had just been moved into corner forward a couple
of minutes earlier. This left the score at half time with Wexford
ahead by 4-5 to 0-2.

Wexford carried on in the second half where they had left off
in the first, and in the first ten minutes they had added on a
further six points before Wicklow’s Shauna Hilley scored from
a thirty metre free. Wexford scored two points in quick succession
just after this, one from Maeve Kehoe after good work from Sonja
Murphy and the other from Karen Tompkins. At this stage Wexford
started bringing on some of their subs. This however did not upset
their rhythm as Sandra Lawlor got in for two goals in the fourteenth
and fifteenth minutes, one a replica of her first goal, which
she punched to the net and the other after good play from Aoife
Tormey and Sonja Murphy. Indeed Aoife Tormey got the next point
a minute later before Wicklow playing their best football got
the next two points from Claire Turner and Yvonne Sutton. Wexford
though steadied the ship and finished the game with two more points
from Aoife Dunne, one from a thirty metre free. This left the
final score 6-16 to 0-5. All the Wexford girls played very well
and should give the management team of Brian O’Brien, Geraldine
Lawlor and Annette Cushe a few headaches when picking a team for
next weeks final against Longford. A word of thanks to the Kilanerin
club for the excellent turned out pitch and refreshments after
the game.

Wexford; Terri Byrne Bunclody, Emma Doyle Gorey, Amy Ryan St Martins
(Captain), Georgina Hearn Horeswood, Natalie Cushe Kilanerin,
Aoife Fitzpatrick Kilmore, Tara Whitty Taghmon/Camross. Sandra
Lawlor Ballygarrett 3-1, Roisín Murphy Ballygarrett, Karen Tompkins
Ballygarrett 0-3, Miriam Smith Clonee 0-3, Maeve Kehoe St James
1-1, Sonja Murphy St James 1-0, Aoife Dunne Taghmon/Camross 1-5,
Aoife Tormey Clonard 0-3. Subs; Claire Doyle Gorey for Georgina
Hearn, Brid Kehoe St James for Aoife Tormey, Grace Cardiff Kilmore
for Natalie Cushe, Caroline Curran Shelmaliers, Mairead Sheehan
Clonee, Brid Kehoe St James, Tanya O’Brien St Fintans, Robyn Brennan
Clonard, Emer Dunne Taghmon/Camross, Elaine Parker Crossabeg/Ballymurn,
and Orlagh Hall Gorey.

Wicklow; Rebecca Condron, Lauren Byrne, Orla Byrne, Naomi O’Loughlin,
Shauna Kearns, Jenny Doyle, Rachel Byrne, Emily Hanney, Kathryn
Kavanagh, Shauna Hilley 0-2, Claire Turner 0-2, Claire Kavanagh,
Vicki Lennon, Yvonne Sutton 0-1, Shauna Richardson. Subs; Keelan
Reilly for Lauren Byrne, Ciara Kinsella for Rebecca Condron and
Sinéad Copeland for Shauna Richardson.

Referee; Fran Mullins Carlow.